Kathmandu, May 4, 2025 - Public transportation services in Nepal are set to resume after transport entrepreneurs called off their protests following a temporary suspension of ride-sharing regulations by the Gandaki Province government. The government has decided to put the regulations on hold for a month, addressing the concerns raised by transport entrepreneurs.
The agreement between the government and transport entrepreneurs was reached late Monday night after several rounds of discussions involving senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The resolution was forwarded to the Gandaki Province government through the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Based on the agreement, the Gandaki Province government announced the suspension of the ride-sharing regulations.
Bijaya Swar, President of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs' National Federation, confirmed the suspension of all protest programs. He assured the public that transportation services would return to normalcy starting today, alleviating the hardships faced by citizens during the protest.
Despite the late-night agreement on Monday, public transportation remained off the roads on Tuesday, causing significant inconvenience to daily commuters. Transport entrepreneurs had insisted on the suspension of the regulations at the provincial level before withdrawing their protests.
This development comes after weeks of tension between the government and transport entrepreneurs over the introduction of ride-sharing regulations, which the entrepreneurs argued would adversely affect their livelihoods.
The temporary resolution is seen as a relief for the general public, who bore the brunt of the transport strike. However, it also raises questions about the sustainability of such temporary measures in addressing underlying issues between stakeholders in the transportation sector.
Ecosphere News will continue to monitor and provide updates on the situation.
